Thursday, October 1, 2026
The East Rockaway Fire Department’s recruiting efforts will be a little easier thanks to an award of federal money — $707,480 — it has earned through a competitive grant program. The money comes from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response program, known as SAFER.
“This is a great investment for East Rockaway,” said U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand. “This federal investment will help improve the Fire Department’s ability to respond and keep families safe. I will continue working to ensure our first responders have the tools and resources they need to keep our communities safe.”
The SAFER program was created to provide funding directly to fire departments and volunteer firefighter organizations in order to help them increase the number of trained, front-line firefighters available in their communities. The program’s goal is to enhance local fire departments’ ability to comply with staffing, response and operational standards established by the National Fire Prevention Association and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Congress appropriated $420 million to fund the program. Some 3,500 career, volunteer and other fire-related organizations across the nation compete for grants each year.
“This grant will go a long way towards helping attract new recruits, and fund incentive programs that will reward the hard work of our existing volunteer firefighters and fire medics,” said Peter Chojnacki, chief of the East Rockaway F.D. “I would like to thank my department’s grant committee for the hard work and dedication they gave towards reaching this goal. These grants are competitive, and require many hours of research and documentation to show our compliance with federal safety and staffing mandates. I’m very proud of ... the hardworking men and women of the volunteer Fire Department and the dedication they display on a daily basis. I can’t thank them enough for their ongoing commitment to making our community a better and safer place to live in.”
